He dropped his gaze, sighing, maintaining the ruse of his identity.
I turned to the others. They had been watching us. “Okay. Our plan is to go in quick and quiet. Use Pandora’s amulet to find the HOG, then sneak the hell out of there. Remember, try not to kill, and try not to let them realize what you are. If they find three dead bodies with claw marks, or spear wounds, or fireballs burned through them, it won’t take them long to realize who was really behind the theft.” Gunnar growled defiantly, but I held up a finger. “I know you want revenge, but just remember our goal. We’ve got more important things on our plate right now. Your vengeance won’t matter if Ichabod gets the HOG.”
He finally nodded.
“Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky,” I murmured, tightening the straps of the small backpack on my shoulders. I turned away from them, waiting for them to place their hands on my shoulders.
I discreetly slid my hand under my shirt as I touched something inside one of those tourist satchels people use to stow passports and cash when traveling. I hadn’t told anyone about it. Then I Shadow Walked us into a discreet wing of the lost Library of Alexandria.
Chapter 37
We appeared in a darkened corner of an alcove behind a thick shelf bursting with scrolls and parchments. I motioned for everyone to stay low. We couldn’t see much of the Library from our vantage point, but I felt a vast open space around us, like an auditorium. Which meant echoes.
But something was wrong.
“I swear it! Library of Alexandria has been said at least ten times by Freaks in the last twelve hours,” a man argued. Shit. That had been us, speaking the name of our target. I hadn’t even thought about that. Pounding footsteps came closer, a lot of them, until a group of six wizards stood not a dozen feet away on the other side of our shelf. I could see their boots, but not their faces because we were crouched low. I was simply thankful that they hadn’t sensed our arrival.
I kept my finger on the item in my satchel, my Horseman Mask. I had channeled my power through it to Shadow Walk us here, hopefully fucking with their wards.
“Breaches all around,” a breathless voice suddenly gasped, the sound echoing loudly.
Then a fire and light show abruptly ignited the air from beyond our shelf, concussive booms and roars of flame that cast light all around the dim Library. “What the bloody hell is that?” the first wizard shouted over the noise.
“I told you. We’ve been breached. We’re under attack. At least three different points. All on the other side of the Library!” the breathless wizard argued. Two pairs of feet departed at a run.
There was a pregnant pause, and I held my breath. Shit.
Achilles and Gunnar were slapping at my ankles, no doubt encouraging me to get us the hell out of here. But the amulet Pandora had given me was growing very warm. We were fucking close if it was reacting so strongly. But we couldn’t move with the wizards right next to us.
And it seemed someone else had decided to crash the Library.
Ichabod. I was suddenly glad I had decided to act on this crazy plan.
“I don’t recognize you, boy,” the first wizard said softly, and I heard a sharp intake of breath from the other wizards. “What is the code phrase?” he asked in a low tone.
The breathless voice didn’t even hesitate. “We bring the terror.”
The first wizard grunted. “Too many new faces. Need to discuss that with the Grand Master.”
“I’ll leave that up to you. I’m new here. But we need to call down the other guards. The animals. Use them to scent out the thieves.”
“It’s that Temple bastard,” the first wizard growled.
Another voice spoke up. “Didn’t pick up his flavor anywhere. The Grand Master shared it with us – the silver color that tastes like fennel.” He took a big whiff, and sighed. “Nothing like that here right now.”
I froze, fingers still on the Mask. They had codified my flavor of magic? Silver and fennel? What the hell was that all about? They could see magic specifically by color? And smell?
Gunnar squeezed my ankle again, but I tugged my leg free, missing part of the conversation.
“He’s behind it. Somehow. Some way. We’ll hang him by his ankles, soon.”
“With all due respect, Sir, we need to do something about this right now. Can we put Temple on hold?”
“Right. Judson, Walsh, round up the shifters and go—”
Screams and explosions erupted from across the room. Then shouting, and the sound of many breaking things. “Go, go, go!” the first wizard shouted.
The sound of two pairs of racing footsteps faded, leaving only two pairs of boots now.
“Hold on a moment, boy,” the first wizard said, his tone darkening. “Shift just changed ten minutes ago. That code phrase you gave was for the previous shift—”
A sudden concussive thump of power rattled the shelf, and I heard a body drop. “You should have left well enough alone, old man” an entirely different female voice said. A familiar voice…
What the hell? One of the attackers was here masquerading as a guard?
“It’s… relatively safe for you to come out, now, Temple,” the same voice said softly. “And your two goons.” For some reason, it didn’t startle me to hear she knew I had been hiding behind the shelf. Perhaps it was the adrenaline pounding through my blood.
But Gunnar was practically yanking my boot off. I shook him away, glancing back at the pair to silently tell them to be ready for a scrap. Their eyes were wide, ready to fight to the death, but wondering why the hell I was entertaining this strange thief. We had been made, after all.
I withdrew the Mask – which still resembled a coin, but now a plain American Silver Dollar – from my satchel and slowly stood, hiding it between two of my fingers.
Gunfire now combined with the screams, animal howls, explosions, the steady whoomp of fire, and the sounds of death. Something the size of a city bus roared, and my forearms burst out in gooseflesh.
“Any minute now…” the voice urged. And I stepped around the shelf, ready to incinerate or join forces. Whatever would get me the damn HOG.
Chapter 38
The silver-haired woman from the attack at Tory’s school stood before me, her eyes quickly assessing me for threats. She must have found me lacking, because her eyes immediately darted back to the sounds of battle behind us. Horns vibrated the air, some type of alarm system. I actually saw figures dashing about in the distance.
Because it looked like we were standing in an amphitheater. The place was enormous.
Trees, ponds, open balconies, shelves climbing up into the five-story range – like my cavern – and cozy reading areas. Massive tables for studying the rolls of parchments. Sandstone walls and marble columns held up a giant mosaic roof with depictions of Alexander the Great in his various war campaigns. Mesmerizing statues marked turns in the walkways, all Greek-era gods, heroes, and monsters. I even saw one of Achilles with an arrow through his heel. The place was breathtaking…
The woman snapped her fingers to get my attention. My amulet was hot to the touch against my chest. I had to be standing right on top of the HOG. I kept my eyes trained on the woman before me, wondering her role in this, and not wanting to betray my interest in the shelf behind me. Maybe I could talk with her, knock her out, nab the HOG off the shelf, and then Shadow Walk out of here before anyone even knew we had entered.
To be honest, the arrival of more thieves concerned me greatly, but… it could also end up being incredibly useful. Distraction.
“You need to get the fuck out of here. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
I blinked at her. “But masquerading as a guard is clever and smart?” I asked, nudging the body of the wizard at my feet. He was still breathing. Which meant she hadn’t killed him. “Who the hell are you, anyway? You haven’t tried to kill me. Yet. Just like earlier today at the school. Almost like you want to talk to me or something.” I studied her. “Was it my eyelashes that made you fall madly
in love with me? I hear they do that. But I don’t go for cougars.”
She flashed me an amused smile. She wasn’t old, but she wasn’t young, either. Experienced was the best word I could come up with. “I’m going to pretend I’m not staring at an ancient Chinese matriarch.” Damn, she was good. “I’ve bedded real men before, Temple. Sorry, but you don’t make the cut. Save me from trust-fund billionaires.”
“Don’t forget the eyelashes,” I added.
“Right. You almost make the cut. Because of the eyelashes.” She studied me up and down, then her head jerked to the side and she cursed. “Time for you to get gone, if you’re smart.” Then she disappeared.
I didn’t waste a second, turning to quickly scan the shelves behind me.
“Nate,” Achilles whispered from directly in front of me, peering through the shelf, having shoved aside a roll of papers as tall as him. I almost pissed myself as I saw the pair of eyes reflecting the fires behind me.
“Get down!” I hissed, tearing through boxes and glancing down at my amulet after a few seconds of fruitless searching. And I froze.
The amulet was stone cold again.
Which meant…
Son of a bitch. The woman had the HOG. That was why my amulet had reacted so strongly. I rounded on my heels, planning to knock her out cold and steal it before any—
And I came face-to-face with a dozen angry wizards glaring at me. They stared from me to the body by my feet. I pointed at the ground. “That wasn’t me,” I began, but they interrupted.
“Bind her. Whoever she is. We’ll get the answers we need out of her. Find out how long she’s been working with Temple.” It took me a moment to remember that they didn’t see me as Nate Temple. They only saw my disguise.
And the wizards began to advance.
I shouted something vaguely Asian and threw my backpack at them, diving to the side. Bars of air reached out to me, but I sliced through them, still touching my Mask in an effort to keep up my disguise. If we were caught, they would get my friends, me, my Mask, and find out exactly who I was.
And they wouldn’t be gentle.
I heard them cursing as I rolled behind the shelf, because they didn’t want to damage any artifacts. My eyes widened to find Achilles and Gunnar simply gone.
And that’s when they hit me. Hammering me with power from a dozen different wizards, flattening me into the ground like a pancake. I couldn’t even move. I released my power, but kept the coin hidden between my fingers. I would keep it hidden as long as possible, and if necessary, cause a scene and hide it in a random bookshelf or something.
Hands grabbed me, pulling me to my feet as a heavy blanket of magic fell over my shoulders, blocking me from tapping into my power. I really wished I had worn my cuffs again. But knowing where I was going, I had assumed that they would be useless. After all, I had used them against the Academy a few days ago, and wearing them now would have given away who I was.
If I had gotten in a fight, and their magic had slipped off me, they would have instantly known who I was. So, I had relied on the Mask.
To my detriment.
And the mysterious silver-haired woman had beaten me to the HOG. My friends were gone.
I was goose-stepped back up to the line of wizards, where I received the most hateful, murderous looks I had received in a long while.
Two of them were Justices. Luckily, the Grand Master wasn’t here.
“She’s no terrorist. It’s a disguise. It’s fixed to her so I can’t remove it. Wild magic. I don’t recognize it.”
“She doesn’t have anything on her,” another wizard growled, tearing through my backpack.
“Who are you?” I recognized the voice. It was the first wizard. They had awoken him. “You’re not the one who attacked me…” he frowned.
“See?” I pointed at him eagerly. “Proof!”
“How many of you are there?” he snarled.
I glanced from side to side, pretending to be scared, but really hoping to find Achilles and Gunnar hiding somewhere else. But I saw no one. I turned back to the wizard. “I was trying to check out a book.”
They didn’t find that funny. “Take her to the Stone. We’ll bleed it out of her. Let’s g—”
“Look out!” one of the other wizards shouted, pointing up into the air. Spears of black, shifting clouds, zipped through the lofty air-space, like a flock of birds sometimes did, forming unique, shifting, mercurial geometric shapes.
There were three of them.
“What are they?” the first wizard growled.
“Dementors,” I said loudly. They turned to face me. “Or Death Eaters,” I frowned. “I can never remember which one is which.” I knew from first-hand experience that the Academy hadn’t discovered the world of Harry Potter. At least none of the ones I had met.
The first wizard took a step closer. “And are these Death Eaters with your crew? These Dementors?” he asked, tone dripping with warning. “Because we aren’t scared of Death Eaters or Dementors.” From his tone, I could tell he had no idea what Harry Potter was, and that he was trying to intimidate me, which made it all the funnier. “We are the Law. We are the Academ—”
One of the black-fog shapes slammed into his back, knocking him into the shelf.
It began to wobble, tilt, and then fall. He struggled on all fours, staring up at the collapsing shelf in horror. Two more of the blurs hammered into the remaining wizards, darting in and out like sharks or wolves. Circling back before they could recover, and suddenly my ward was gone.
I set my hands on the mask, ready to Shadow Walk to a different corner of the Library, shouting out Asian-sounding syllables in an effort to get the attention of Achilles and Gunnar.
I opened my mouth to shout again, and one of the black-fog shapes hammered into me, shifting into the silver-haired matron right before contact. She struck me like a tackle, and I prepared to introduce my skull to the falling shelf, then experience thousands of years of history pummeling me to death.
But I felt nothing of the sort.
Instead, I felt the cool night breeze brushing my cheeks, blowing my hair in wild disarray. I opened my eyes to see that we were very high above the ground.
Because we were standing on a freaking Aqueduct, one I had seen on tourist brochures before. The Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain. City streets below us buzzed with activity, busses, taxis, and tourists milling about like insects. But I was high enough up that they didn’t see me.
I froze, ready for a fight. The woman was nowhere to be found, but I heard her voice on the breeze. “Your… friends are safe at home. But you are still in danger. And I’m too tired to take you home. Babysitting is so exhausting. Honestly, it’s like you’ve never done this before. I don’t know why everyone is so scared of you. Falling for a rookie mistake, of all things.”
“It’s very brave to talk to me while hiding. Show yourself,” I demanded, wondering what the hell rookie mistake she was talking about. “Who are you?”
“We’re not friends. I just hate those assholes,” her voice whispered in my ears. I spun, trying to catch a glimpse of her, but all I saw was more wind.
“You have two of them now,” I pleaded, confident she was part of the Syndicate. “Just keep them the hell away from Ichabod.”
There was a stunned, pregnant silence. Then her voice called out from a different direction. “You are being hunted. Run away, little rabbit. Run away…”
I felt her voice fade away to nothing, leaving me all alone.
I growled to myself, ready to Shadow Walk back home. I had tried. At least Ichabod didn’t get it.
A flash of light and sparks erupted behind me, which I caught in my peripheral vision before a tight fist gripped the back of my coat, yanking me through the Gateway that had appeared directly behind me.
Almost as if they had known where I was, or something.
You are being hunted, little rabbit… the memory of the voice taunted me.
Chapter 39
I
felt cold magic wash over me, and instantly knew I was no longer a cross-dressing Asian grandmother, just Nate Temple again. Hands patted me down in a dark room, slapping my chest angrily. They took my amulet, whoever they were, but they hadn’t found the coin I had tucked into my pocket. My Mask. I hadn’t yet been able to see my abductors, the room cloaked in shadows.
“Where is it?” a familiar voice demanded from the darkness.
I blinked. No…
“Black damn, boy. You rose holy hell in there and didn’t even get it?” he shouted. “My, how far the apple falls from the tree…” he shoved me away, turning his back, and the area slowly illuminated as if someone had turned up a dimmer switch.
I stumbled, but just stared, my vision beginning to pulse with rage.
Ichabod turned to sit down in a chair, glaring at me. Indie stood beside him, shaking her head, face grave. And I realized how they had been able to remove my disguise. Makers.
“If it isn’t two of my favorite people,” I began, taking an angry step forward.
Ichabod grunted, turning to Indie with a shrug. He held up the amulet. “Fat lot of good this will do us. Looks like we’ll need to escalate your phase now. They can help us retrieve it.” He didn’t sound happy about this, but he did sound resolved.
“You two were in the Library,” I said in disbelief.
They turned to look at me in unison, as if surprised I had spoken. Then they began to talk softly, under their breath, ignoring me.
I snapped my fingers. “Hey! What the fuck are you two planning? And what were you after?” I asked, feigning ignorance, hoping I was wrong.
Indie turned cool eyes on me. “You know what we were after. But someone beat us all to it.”
“You’re going all-in,” I growled in disgust. “To wake a god and doom us all. Because the Syndicate hurt your feelings,” I spat. Ichabod’s shoulders tightened, but he ignored me.
They resumed their conversation. “How the hell did you even know about the Library? How did you know where I was?” I shouted, ready to explode. I stood no chance against the two.
Tiny Gods: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 6 (The Temple Chronicles) Page 19